Decatur, GA Tornado History — 122 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Decatur, GA had?
Decatur has had 122 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 7 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Decatur?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Decatur was an EF0 on May 3, 2025.
When is tornado season in Decatur?
March is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Decatur, with 18 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Decatur
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 45 total, averaging 2.3 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Decatur since December 29, 2025
These is a preliminary report, not confirmed tornadoes. It has not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and is not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Within 25 miles of Decatur. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Decatur
10 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Decatur since 1950, across 7 events. 514 injuries have been reported across all events. 1975 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F3 on March 24, 1975, which caused 3 fatalities along a 14.8-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Decatur
About Tornadoes in Decatur
This overview was written August 10, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Across the Georgia piedmont, tornado weather is built from the meeting of warm, humid air flowing north off the Gulf of Mexico with cold fronts and strong jet-stream winds sweeping in from the west. Spring, from March through May, brings the sharpest of these clashes, though the Southeast's storm track also permits cool-season outbreaks in late autumn and winter. Decatur, on the eastern edge of the Atlanta metropolitan area, sits squarely in this environment.
The area's documented history includes intense tornadoes. An F4 tornado passed through the Decatur area on November 22, 1992, tracking 20 miles with a funnel up to 867 yards wide and injuring 46 people. On March 24, 1975, an F3 cut across the area, killing 3 people and injuring 152 along its 14.8-mile path. An F3 on Christmas Day, December 25, 1964, traveled 75.4 miles across the region, underscoring that Georgia's tornado threat extends deep into the cold season.
Activity has continued through recent decades around Decatur. An EF2 struck on March 15, 2008, killing 1 person and injuring 30 as it moved through the metro core. The event list elsewhere on this page is drawn from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center's database and spans the 1950s through the 2020s, with dates, tracks, and ratings for each documented touchdown.